Monday, January 30, 2012

Hillsong Sound Level

My new 2012 hobby is to discover the noisiest Church in town. So I kicked off with Hillsong last night. They are clearly in the championship league. The sound level frequently exceeded 110 decibels, and hit a top reading of 116.6 decibels. But I was seated in the back row -- so looking at the sound sources, and applying the inverse square law, it is safe to say that many congregants were exposed to well over 120 decibels. What does this mean? Firstly, the sound level is staggering. It is (at times) louder than a 747 passenger jet on take-off. Damage to one's hearing may occur within seconds. It is several hundred times the limit in draft provincial legislation PN14. OBSERVATION: My interest here is not a serious one -- it's just a fun new hobby. Let me not discourage anyone from attending Hillsong -- but do take ear-plugs along to avoid near-certain damage to your ears. (I did an IEC 61672 Class 2 measurement with acoustic C-weighting. My calculated maximum for Hillsong is 122.6 decibels). See also Hillsong Cape Town.

No comments:

Buy The Book

Never in the field of electronic design was so much owed by so many to so few components. 180 electronic projects that really DO something - with 6 components or less. 238 pages large Crown Quarto format. 20% discount on print copies. Instant PDF download. From $3.95. [Click on the image].

Page Views: Blogger

Visitors: Site Meter

Recent Comments

Buy The Book

It is estimated that half of all missionaries drop out every 13 years. This detailed and compassionate study charts the course of missionaries who re­mod­elled the call, turning its burden into blessing. The author was awarded a PhD for the research by Africa's foremost university. Instant eBook download. From $7.95. [Click on the image].

About This Blog

I have spent ten years in suburban ministry, and twenty-two years (total) in urban ministry. I am now the minister of a village Church, yet my involvements in urban ministry continue.

There are a few reasons for this blog: 1. To help people form a picture of what ministry is about -- in particular urban ministry -- not least seminary students who may be destined for urban ministry. I have found that the image and the reality may be far apart in academia. 2. My experience in ministry may be (and, in fact, often has been) an encouragement to other ministers -- alternatively, a cautionary tale, as the case may be! Many notes of thanks have been recorded on this blog. And 3. Friends have simply told me how interesting reports of ministry are.

This is not a "parochial" blog. Generally, only 10% of readers are local. Outside of South Africa, this blog is most read in non-Christian nations (according to the Mail & Guardian). At the time of writing, it is the most authoritative Religion blog in Southern Africa (according to Technorati).

With all of the above in mind, the purpose of this blog is simply to record urban ministry "live and unplugged", in the form of a minister's diary. This blog is not a "church blog" -- it is a "ministry blog". For the most part, it is not my intention to share my views, except where these are related to praxis. The emphasis is the experience of ministry and the various events that surround it.

A definition of “live” is “actually being performed at the time of viewing”. A definition of “unplugged” is “without amplification or modification”. However, see my Posting Policy below.

Posting Policy

This blog may be unique with regard to its degree of transparency about urban ministry. Many people have written to me to say how they cherish the help they have received through this. However, this means that special attention needs to be given to confidentiality in particular. I use the following guidelines for posting on this blog:

I apply the following questions to posts: Are they posted in good faith? Are they balanced? Are they compassionate? Are they informative about ministry? Do they help one better understand a problem or issue?

I consider a post to be unproblematic if a person's identity is unknowable in the post, if the facts are public knowledge, or if a change of particulars (name, place, date, and so on) will truly protect privacy. If I consider that anyone who was not involved in an incident would recognise those who were, then I do not post. If a post could compromise the safety of those I blog about, then I make a post safe, or I do not post.

I believe that these measures should enable me to continue to be "open" about urban ministry while not compromising privacy.

In 2013, ninety percent of the posts on this blog were removed. I then put the question of the freedom of the blog to the South African Human Rights Commission. The position is this: if a post is legal, it is legal. There is freedom of expression in South Africa.

Having said this, if any post should even cause discomfort, it will be removed from this blog immediately. This has always been the position. One does need to contact me for that, best through an e-mail or a blog comment, and I prefer to see a name on it. The post will be put back up only if there would seem to be compelling reason for it. It is hoped that there will be the assumption that I wish to address any discomfort satisfactorily, compassionately, and efficiently.